It’s the weekend and you are looking for a quick excursion and you want to get out of town. Not to worry! There are many fun adventures right across the bridge.
Just a 30 minute drive from Downtown Wilmington, about half way to Southport is historic Brunswick Town & Fort Anderson. This shoreline park and historic for and battleground is a beautiful setting for an afternoon walk while exploring some history.
The whole family is welcome and site is available to dogs as long as they are on leash. Watch out for the wildlife! There are signs that warn of alligators as you walk along the river.
Park your car at the visitor center and follow the paved path for a nearly 2 mile walk on a loop trail through an old 1700s town (all that is left are the foundations of the homes) and around the old fort on the river front. The short walk will take you round trip back to the parking at the visitor center.
Here are a few highlights and things you will see when visiting Brunswick Town & Fort Anderson:
St. Philip’s Church
St. Philip’s Church is a ruined parish church that was erected in 1768 and destroyed in 1776. Legend has it that it took 14 years build, but only one day to be destroyed when the British burned Brunswick Town to the ground. All that is left today of the church is its foundation and four walls. Walking in and around the church is spiritual whether you are religious or not.
You can learn more about St. Philip’s Church here.
The Church’s Graveyard
The St. Philip’s Church is the final resting place for royal governor Arthur Dobbs and the infant son of royal governor William Tryon. You can see their graves still intact to this day.
Port Brunswick
Col. Maurice Moore in 1725 was granted 1500 acres of land in the Lower Cape Fear region. Moore created a plot of nearly 400 half-acre lots to make up the town of Brunswick. The town was named to honor England’s King George I, who hailed from the German house of Hanover-Brunswick.
In 1729, New Hanover Precinct was established and in 1731, Brunswick was made the official Port of Entry for all shipping in the Lower Cape Fear region.
Fort Anderson
Fort Anderson is a Confederate Fort that sits over the ruins of Brunswick town. The fort was designed to protect the port of Wilmington from the Union blockade during the Civil War. Fort Anderson was crucial to hindering the movement of Union ships, and served as a port for blockade runners sneaking up the mouth of the Cape Fear River.